(graphic courtesy of Jane Stonewood)
The car had stopped with a jolt. Jane reckoned Conrad had driven her around for 20 to 30 minutes but she knew he could easily have been driving around in circles to disorient her.
At least the Kenny G soundtrack had stopped.
Conrad had lifted Jane out of the back, complete with blanket and cradle carried her into another building. She guessed this one was a house. He had now sat her down on a chair and pulled the blanket from her head.
"Welcome to my humble, and somewhat temporary, abode." He beamed. "Let's get you comfortable."
Jane blinked at the sudden light and looked around. She was in a tasteful but sparsely furnished living room with a kitchen area at one end. Obviously Conrad was preparing to leave but he wasn't taking everything.
She looked down at the chair she was in. It was a metal framed dining chair of solid construction.
Conrad was behind her now with another length of white cotton rope. He looped this between her ankles and over the ropes binding them together and then pulled it backwards. There was a series of horiztonal bars between the legs of the chair a little higher than ankle height and in the shape of a capital H. The new rope was secured around the middle of the H, effectively tying her legs to the chair.
Jane gave it an experimental tug but quickly felt that the metal frame was every bit as strong at it looked. She was breathing hard into her gag. Furious at being captured and now in the hands of this sleazy Professor. Even if she stood up quickly and made a dash for it she would be hopping with a metal dining chair tied to her ankles. She didn't give herself great odds of escaping.
She felt movement at her back and Conrad undid the ropes around her upper arms and then unwrapped them from above and below her breasts. Then he took undid the rope that had secured her wrists against the back of her belt.
She couldn't help but roll her shoulders to release the tension that had built up, even though her wrists were still bound. Conrad gently took her arms and moved them so they were over the back of the chair. He was humming cheerfully to himself.
There were two metal struts on the back of the chair frame that formed an X. Conrad now took the rope and wrapped it tightly around Jane's narrow waist a few times, making sure the ropes also went over the struts, fastening her into the chair. After the rope had passed around her four times, Conrad tied it off and then used the loose ends to attach her bound wrists to the chair as well.
Jane squirmed in her bonds and tried to find some slack but there wasn't any.
"Go on," Conrad laughed, "have a good old wriggle there, my sweet. It's always a delight to watch. I must tell you though, I am very good at this and you aren't going anywhere until I want you to."
"Phhhk hoo." Came the muffled retort from behind the gag. Even Conrad didn't need a translator for that one.
He took a moment or two to walk around Jane and examine his handiwork.
"Splendid! Now I just need to check something." He leaned in and worked his fingers between the coils of rope around Jane's waist and tried to squeeze them in against her belly.
She stiffened up, squealed and tried to pull away.
"Oh do behave," he chided. "I am just need making sure. A good craftsman takes pride in his work. Although I may need to loosen these for dinner."
Jane looked at him in bewilderment. He looked back with that infuriatingly smug grin.
"What did you expect? As you are going to be my guest for the evening the least I can do is make you dinner." He leaned over and unknotted the tie from around her mouth and gently drew out the sodden cloth.
"Eww," He said, regarding the damp material with disdain. "Well that's going to have to go in the laundry."
Jane licked her lips and suddenly realised she was very thirsty.
As if one cue he produced a small glass of water and let her drink. She couldn't believe it. In his mind they were almost on some kind of date.
He headed off into the kitchen, shrugging out of his jacket. "Omelette sound good to you? Some mushrooms, green peppers, a little feta?"
Jane was feeling a little hungry but she was in no mood to humour her captor. This leering joker had tied her up and kidnapped her and now he expected her to have dinner with him!
"I'm not hungry." She growled.
"Suit yourself," He said, stepping behind her. "In that case you won't need any slack in these ropes."
Jane let out a startled yelp as Conrad cinched the ropes even more tightly around her waist. It was like wearing a corset.
Conrad enjoyed her little squeal. He chuckled to himself as he wandered into the kitchen area. Pretty soon he was chopping ingredients and whisking eggs. All the while he talked to her over the countertop, mostly about his favourite subject - himself.
Despite her predicament, the aromas were enticing and Jane felt her stomach grumble. She wasn't about to tell him but when he appeared she was almost salivating at the idea of the food he had prepared.
He arrived at the table with a plate of food, cut a forkful of food and put it in his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, closing his eyes as if in rapture.
"Sure you won't join me?" He said, proffering the plate.
She rolled her eyes and looked away, she wiggled a little, trying to find some slack in the tight coils enveloping her waist.
"Well if you won't eat, you can at least tell me a bit about yourself. For example, maybe it's just me but I don't get the impression that being tied up is a new experience for you or one that you find all that unpleasant. Am I right?"
Jane glowered at him as he sat expectantly waiting for an answer.
"So come on, was it a an inventive boyfriend who talked you into a grown up game of cowboys and indians? Maybe you got caught snooping before and ended up experiencing the delights of tight ropework and gagging? Hmmmm?"
"I wouldn't complain if you gagged on your dinner and, tied up like this, I wouldn't be able to do anything to help. What a shame." Jane replied sarcastically.
Conrad seemed amused by her response. "Well you are quite the most delightful dinner guest I've had in a while."
"I've a feeling you're next dinner date will be a big bald convict answering to the name, Bubba." Jane said.
He laughed at that and looked her up at down slowly. "Oh Jane, not only are you a mouth watering vision to behold but you are wonderful company too! It is true what they say about redheads being feisty. I do like a woman with some spirit."
"You don't really think you're going to get away with this do you?" She said, instantly realising it was a bit of a lame comeback.
"But of course. I leave nothing to chance and prepare for every contingency. Those dreary cops won't be able to catch me and even if they did, the would be able to prove nothing."
Jane marvelled at how smug and self-assured this guy was. Maybe he did in fact know a lot that both she and the cops didn't.
"Can I interest you in a glass of wine? I have half a bottle of full-bodied Zinfandel in the kitchen." He said.
"Why, trying to get me drunk?" Jane said, a little sarcastically.
"Not at all," he replied cheering, "if such were my intent then I have sufficient faith in my own sweet charm."
"Well it's not working on me." Jane said, in a matter of fact tone.
Quick as a flash he turned and tilted her back on her chair so it rested on the back legs. His face was very close to hers and she wondered if he was going to kiss her or something. She could feel her heartbeat accelerate.
"Are you sure about that?" He said in a low tone.
"Absolutely." Jane replied carefully.
He shrugged and set her chair back on all 4 legs again. "We'll see".
Conrad headed off to the kitchen and poured himself a large glass of wine.
The cellphone in Conrad's jacket suddenly chimed.
"Do excuse me, I have to take this." He collected his phone and disappeared into the next room. He obviously didn't want her to overhear his conversation.
However, now that she was alone, Jane could have a good go at working on her bonds. She leaned forward and yanked hard on her wrists. The chair held firm, nothing doing there. She kicked her legs forward again but again, the chair didn't budge and neither did the ropes.
Damn these things were well put together!
He had tied her carefully so that she couldn't get her fingers to any of the knots that secured her.
She decided to just struggle as hard as she could and see if she could find any usable slack in the ropes but it was hopeless. Nevertheless she pulled and twisted and wriggled this way and that in the hope of gaining some purchase she could exploit.
A low chuckle from the doorway caught her attention and she looked up to see Conrad standing in the doorway. "Oh don't mind me, I was rather enjoying the show. Please carry on."
Jane refused to give him the satisfaction and settled back down. She was breathing hard and her hair had fallen around her face in the course of her exertions.
Conrad gently smoothed the stray red locks back behind her ears. "There, there. Let's not hide that pretty face now, shall we?"
Jane hated feeling so powerless in front of this creep who seemed to believe he was some kind of dashing master criminal.
He looked at his watch and stood up. "Well, I have a very busy day tomorrow so I think it's time we turned in. Come along Jane, time for bed."
"Whoa, back up there Skippy!" She said in alarm.
"Well I can't leave you sitting there all night. For one thing it's not all that comfortable for another, I'd rather have you where I can see you and make sure you don't get into any more mischief."
He quickly set about untying the rope around her middle and releasing the ropes that held her to the chair.
Jane's mind was racing. This guy was clearly getting his jollies by having her as his little bondage prisoner and she had no great desire to find out what his version of bedtime entailed.
She waited for him to untie her from the chair and then she stood up quickly knocking it backwards into him. She felt him stumble backward. She was still bound at the wrists, knees and ankles but she started hopping as fast as she could towards the doorway.
He was giggling as he caught up to her, "Jane, you really are an absolute delight. I wish I could keep you forever." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. For the second time that evening, he tossed her over his shoulder and carried her upstairs.
"Let me go you creep! This is kidnapping! You're going to go to jail for this." She yelled at him as she struggled.
"Hush now, sweetness, people are trying to sleep in China." He carried her into the bedroom which had dark wood furniture and a King-size bed with a sturdy frame.
Jane was deposited onto the bed with a bump. "It's daytime in China. They're probably finishing lunch, you nimrod!"
He shook his head in mild amusement and made a move to grab her.
She tried to roll off the other side of the bed but he caught the cuff of her jeans and climbed onto the bed after her.
"Wriggly little thing aren't you?" Conrad said smugly as he looked down at her.
"Drop dead." Jane glowered.
"Such an attitude after you've had the benefit of my intoxicating company. Well I think I've got just the thing for that." He said shaking his head. He rummaged around in a chest of drawers and produced a thick roll of tape, a square of white cloth and a pair of medical shears. Using the shears he snipped off a piece of tape that was about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.
He sat on the bed and started to smooth it over Jane's lips. She tried to shake her head to stop him but he held her place and soon had the tap just as he wanted. He then tore a backing strip from the front of the tape. It was double sided.
The cloth came next. Conrad folded it over until he had created a long, thick strip which he pressed against the tape and then tied around Jane's head.
"There we are, that's a lot better isn't it?" He said stroking his chin. He spun around and lifted Jane's feet into his lap and began unlacing her sneakers.
She sat bolt upright and let out a string of incomprehensible protests into her gag. She jack-knifed her legs and tried to kick him in the face but he was surprisingly quick for a bookworm, caught her ankles and snuggled them under his arm. Her shoes and socks were both stacked neatly under a chair in the corner of the room.
"Over we go!" He rolled the wriggling redhead onto her stomach. From his point of view, this was the tricky part of the proceedings. First he took a length of rope and used it to tie her ankle ropes to the foot of the bedframe. Then he unknotted the rope around her wrists.
Jane had a momentary glimmer of hope. As soon as she felt the rope come off her wrists, she pushed herself around started pummelling at the Professor. He was ready for her though and had left nothing to chance.
A coiled loop was slipped over her wrists, she was flipped neatly onto her back and the rope was quickly tied and then secured to the top of the bedframe.
Jane groaned with disappointment into her gag. She had to admit, Professor Conrad was fiendishly good with ropes.
"Now I can't have you sleeping in your clothes so you'll just have to sleep in your underwear." Conrad grinned. He was looking forward to this.
Jane's eyes bulged out and she began another torrent of incoherent protests into her gag.
Conrad sat at her side and slipped his fingers under the hem of her turtleneck and began to slide it up over her wriggling torso.
Jane nearly burst through her gag with indignation. How dare he! And what would he do once she was undressed! She bounced up and down on the bed and thrashed from side to side, uttering incomprehensible threats and curses through the tap and cloth covering her mouth.
She tried to roll to the side and press her body tightly against the bed but all this succeeded in doing was pinning his hand against her ribs, which he didn't seem to mind at all.
Jane was furious with the situation. She knew that had he really wanted to do anything to her he had ample opportunity already but this didn't mean she was comfortable with what was happening.
She squealed as his clammy fingers probed up her sides and ribs as he pushed her top. She cringed as she felt it slide up over her chest and tucked her chin in to her chest hoping that would stop him pulling the top over her all the way up to her wrists, being careful not to disturb the gag he had so carefully tied.
Thus just meant her turtleneck blindfolded her for a few seconds as he struggled to pull it over her head. This hopeless! Jane thought to herself in exasperation and frustration. She yelped into her gag as his fingertips suddenly tickled her in the middle of her tummy. That gave him an opening and the sweater was pulled smartly over her head.
He tugged it up her arms to her wrists and raised an appreciative eyebrow, as he looked her over. She had smooth skin and a lovely slender figure. Her waist was narrow, her belly was toned and flat and a pretty black bra covered her shapely chest.
Jane felt her cheeks blaze with a mixture of indignation and frustration as his lustful gaze lingered on her. Her nostrils flared and her midriff rose and fell with her laboured breathing.
He grinned wolfishly. "Such an embarrassment of riches. You are blessed aren't you?" The lasciviously leering professor turned his attention to her jeans now.
Jane's eyebrows arched almost up into her hairline as she realised where he was going. Instantly she started bouncing up and down on the bed and shaking from side to side, desperate to prevent further indignities at the hands of her captor.
She could scarcely believe the mess she was in. This was the last time she answered an anonymous phone call.
Conrad found her attempts to thwart him deliciously amusing. He got his hands onto her hips and then they tracked inwards towards her belt buckle. His eyes glowed as he slowly unbuckled her belt, unsnapped her jeans and drew down the zipper. He grabbed twin handfuls denim and leather and pulled the jeans down her lovely legs, revealing a pair of skimpy black panties. He had to pull hard as Jane pressed her knees together as tightly as she could. Eventually he had the jeans pooled her ankles.
Conrad was uncharacteristically lost for words as he ogled the bound redheaded beauty in his bed. What a shame, he thought to himself, if I'd met her earlier I am sure I could have seduced her into doing all this voluntarily. After all, what fulsome wench could resist the charms of Donovan Conrad?
Jane blinked up at him with her wide grey eyes. She had got herself into some scrapes before and here she was, tied up and imprisoned by another kinky miscreant. Maybe she should consider another line of work…
Eventually Conrad shook himself out of his stupor. "Sweet, sweet, Jane, you are simply enchanting. I shall certainly miss you when I leave."
He stood up and began to strip off his shirt and chinos. Moments later he was in a pair of black silk pyjama pants and a wine red robe. He picked up the bedclothes from the end of the bed and carefully covered Jane all the way up to her neck. "There, we can't have you catching cold now, can we?"
He switched off the light and lay down next to her on top of the covers, folding his hands behind his head.
Jane huffed in indignation into her gag. He really expected her to sleep like this? What if she needed to scratch her nose or get a drink of water? Well at least it seemed he didn't plan on molesting her so that was something to be pleased about.
"Oh and Jane?" Conrad called out in the darkness, "Just so we're clear, this is my side of the bed and that's your side of the bed. So don't go getting any ideas or getting frisky. Some of us need our beauty sleep."
With that, he leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on the cloth covering her mouth.
"Night night," He rolled back onto his back and smiled to himself as he shut his eyes. In truth he would have been delighted if she got a little frisky and his tented pants paid testament to his own excitement. He had greatly enjoyed putting her to bed and she looked sensational tied up in her black, silky lingerie. It contrasted so well with the fair skin of her glorious form. He decided he ought to receive some kind of award for self control but in the meantime he planned on having some very pleasant dreams.
Within minutes he was asleep, snoring lightly.
Sleep didn't come so easily to poor Jane, tied up beside him. She lay there blinking into the darkness. How on earth did she keep getting into these situations? Maybe she should become a librarian. What's the worst that could happen? Did librarians ever get tied up like this? She couldn't see someone getting so irate about a late fine they'd tie her up in the classical literature section and leave her there overnight. She would have to look into it.
Her nose started to itch. She growled in frustration into her gag.
****
Jane didn't sleep very well. She had managed to scratch her nose by rubbing her face against her upper arm but it wasn't the most comfortable way to spend a night.
When she did sleep, she dreamed of smug grinning faces and coils of white rope.
Just after dawn she was awoken by a loud banging sound from downstairs. Her heart pounded in her chest. What now?
She felt Conrad stir groggily beside her. Then a voice bellowed up from outside.
"Professor Conrad, this is Detective Garver, please come down and open the door or we'll break it down."
Jane's heart leapt. Saved!
Conrad rolled over to look at her. "Well, sweetheart, it looks like I'll be leaving you a little earlier than planned. Nothing to worry about though. Thanks for a wonderful evening." He pulled the cloth gag from her mouth and kissed her over the tape that remained.
She snorted indignantly and jerked her head away.
He reached up and untied the knots around her wrists. Then he stood up and started climbing into his clothes.
Jane quickly worked on the rest of the knots and then took off her gag. She was wondering what Garver would say when he found her, especially after warning her to stay out of trouble.
She was all thumbs as she undid the knots around her ankles. She could already hear Conrad talking to people downstairs. She jumped off the bed, pulled her turtleneck down and then wrestled her jeans back up. She was just buckling her belt when Detective Hastings came into the bedroom.
"Jane! What on earth are you doing here." She asked in disbelief. She looked around and saw the ropes tied to the bed.
"Ask Conrad! He kidnapped me and kept me here overnight." Jane blurted. She realised she must look a little flustered and tried to smooth her mane of red hair.
"And why did he do that?" Hastings asked quizzically. Jane knew and liked Detective Hastings but right now the blonde cop was all business.
"I got an anonymous phone call, a tip off, telling me to go to a warehouse and I might see something related to the robberies. I was trying to get a closer look when I got nabbed by Conrad and his cronies and he kept me trussed up here overnight."
Garver entered with a handcuffed Conrad and looked at Jane standing there sheepishly. "Oh now this I've got to hear." He said.
"I can explain everything Detective Garver," Conrad said confidently. "I met Miss Woodstone yesterday at the museum and there was an instant attraction. I asked her over for dinner, she accepted and she ended up staying the night."
"What!" Jane yelled, "That's rubbish, that's not what happened at all! This creep tied me up and kidnapped me."
Conrad looked over at Garver, "Oh come on detective, she's exaggerating, she wanted to play a few bondage games, that's all. I mean just look at her, tell me you would have turned her down."
"I don't believe this!" Jane was incandescent and marched towards the grinning Conrad. She'd wipe that smug expression off her face.
Hastings stepped between them. "Whoa Jane, calm down."
Conrad shrugged, "I don't know why she's complaining, I called her yesterday afternoon to arrange the date, check my cellphone."
Jane thought back to the previous afternoon, the only call she'd had was from the anonymous tip-off... Her jaw dropped as she put the pieces together. He had made that call! He had set her up. This whole escapade had been orchestrated by him so he could get his hands on her for his own amusement! Her cheeks burned and her hands balled into fists.
She took a step forward but Hastings put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"We'll see about that later," Garver said. "I'm a lot more interested in what you know about recent thefts of stolen antiquities."
"I don't know what you mean and if that's your attitude I shall not say another word until I have spoken to my attorney." Conrad replied.
"Have it your way then," Garver growled, "Hastings, take Professor Conrad downtown."
As Hastings hustled Conrad out of the room, Garver looked at Jane. "You OK."
"Yeah," she muttered. "You didn't believe that rubbish did you?"
"Jane, I don't trust that slimeball as far as I can throw him and later on, you and I are going to have to have a talk about what happened.
"Sure, I know." She replied with a sigh.
Garver tried to raise her spirits. "Hey, cheer up though, at least you got a good story for the paper now."
Jane ran her hands through her hair and blew her cheeks out. He was right. It was quite a story... but how the hell was she going to write it?
THE END